Hack 88 Test Multiple Flash Plugins

Test against multiple versions of the Flash
Player without moving between computers or having to manually
install/uninstall Flash ActiveX or plugin versions.

Many clients require sites to
be compatible with the previous version of the Flash Player (at the
time of this writing, Flash Player 6) until the current version
(Flash Player 7, for now) reaches an installed base of around 90%.
This degree of ubiquity is achieved around 18 months after the
release of a new Flash Player.

Although the Flash authoring environment allows you to create content
for previous versions of the Flash Player, it has no facility to
allow you to test your SWFs using previous versions; it simply
assumes that viewing content on the latest version of the Player
(currently Flash 7) is fine. Fortunately, Macromedia does a good job
of ensuring that the current Flash Player plays older-format
.swf files the same as earlier Flash Player
versions.

A good designer will also test with the latest Flash Player version.
However, testing a site using previous versions of the Flash Player
is a prudent exercise, and it can be a messy one.

Because your browser can have only one version of the Flash Player
installed at one time, there are four options:

You can install the Flash Player version you want to test every time
you need it and reinstall the latest version before you finish.

You can test on several computers, each of which has a different
version of the Flash Player installed. Many design houses have
several computers set up with different configurations to test in
this way. But for smaller teams, if you lack computers or the space
to house them, this solution may not be possible.

Ask friends to test it for you. This isn't a
terrible idea, but your friends are probably other Flash developers
with the latest plugin installed, and friendship goes only so far.

Use the wonderful donationware program Flash Plugin Switcher (http://www.kewbee.de/FlashPluginSwitcher) by
Alex Blum, which
avoids the need to install and uninstall the Flash Player plugin or
ActiveX control.

Because we're not gluttons for punishment, this hack
uses Flash Plugin Switcher (FPS), whose excellent logo is shown in
Figure 11-4. FPS can force the browser to go back to
the previous version of the Flash Player. Unfortunately, the
application is Windows-only, so you'll have to
resort to the other methods for Macintosh testing.

Figure 11-4. The Flash Plugin Switcher's rune

Although Alex's site is in German, the application
and its help files are in English.

Macromedia archives older versions of the
Flash Player (back to Flash Player 2)
on its site specifically to facilitate testing:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/ts/documents/oldplayers.htm

This URL leads to Technote 14266: Archived Macromedia Flash
Players available for testing purposes. Simply entering
"14266" in the search box on
Macromedia's home page should get you the current
URL if Macromedia changes it.

Using Flash Plugin Switcher

Once you have unzipped the Flash Plugin Switcher download, start the
application. Click the Help button to access information on how to
install the plugins and ActiveX controls. Once you have it up and
running, as seen in Figure 11-5, you can:

Change the browser plugin or ActiveX control (Netscape and Internet
Explorer are supported).

Change the Standalone Flash Player version.

Change the plugin used in Test Movie mode in the Flash IDE for all
versions of the Flash authoring environment you have installed.

Figure 11-5. Flash Plugin Sniffer browser configuration

The general procedure to change a plugin or ActiveX control is to:

Make sure that the browser, Standalone Player, or Flash authoring
application (IDE) for which you want to change the plugin or ActiveX
control is closed.